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GEM work experience 2017

Hi all, I'm applying for GEM this year (2017 entry), and sitting the UKCAT in August. I've been volunteering at a large London teaching hospital for the past 5 months, serving meals, interacting with patients, and working with other healthcare professionals. Through this I've been on both medical, and surgical wards and had some really great experiences. I should also reach the minimum 70hrs in a "caring environment" before the UCAS deadline :smile: . I'm also volunteering with a charity, tutoring inner London school children STEM subjects with the aim of improving their grades, and getting them into Russel group universities. This is pretty much all I can commit to at the moment, as I'm working full time (in order to save money to study GEM!).In the past (but not within the last 2 years) I have gained work experience in the radiology department of my local hospital, where I was able to shadow radiologists, work in A&E, see X-rays, barium enemas, CT scans, and MRIs etc. I have also worked in the cancer therapeutic division of the institute of cancer research, where I got to work with oncologists, and been a volunteer with St Johns Ambulance.I'm a bit concerned that i'm lacking a shadowing experience within the last 2 years. I've read a lot of people say that it's "not what you do, but what you learn" I think I have a lot of interesting experiences, but am a bit concerned some of them will be discounted or not considered. Should I be re-doubling my efforts to get another shadowing placement? perhaps within primary care? Thanks
Reply 1
Avatar for Freyr
Freyr
6
Original post by map1989
Hi all, I'm applying for GEM this year (2017 entry), and sitting the UKCAT in August. I've been volunteering at a large London teaching hospital for the past 5 months, serving meals, interacting with patients, and working with other healthcare professionals. Through this I've been on both medical, and surgical wards and had some really great experiences. I should also reach the minimum 70hrs in a "caring environment" before the UCAS deadline :smile: . I'm also volunteering with a charity, tutoring inner London school children STEM subjects with the aim of improving their grades, and getting them into Russel group universities. This is pretty much all I can commit to at the moment, as I'm working full time (in order to save money to study GEM!).In the past (but not within the last 2 years) I have gained work experience in the radiology department of my local hospital, where I was able to shadow radiologists, work in A&E, see X-rays, barium enemas, CT scans, and MRIs etc. I have also worked in the cancer therapeutic division of the institute of cancer research, where I got to work with oncologists, and been a volunteer with St Johns Ambulance.I'm a bit concerned that i'm lacking a shadowing experience within the last 2 years. I've read a lot of people say that it's "not what you do, but what you learn" I think I have a lot of interesting experiences, but am a bit concerned some of them will be discounted or not considered. Should I be re-doubling my efforts to get another shadowing placement? perhaps within primary care? Thanks


You have shadowed several different doctors. Doesn't matter if it was recent or not. Its not like their job has changed significantly in the past few years! There is nowhere that states the experience has to be recent. Just word your personal statement to say you've done it, don't bother mention when.
Same iwht oyur voluntary experience, most med schools (I think?) Like people who do it long term (1 year+) so don't bother mention how long you've been colunteering either, just so you're currently a volunteer in personal statement (then again you're also currently working in healthcare setting so doesn't really matter).

But seriously, you have LOADS of work experience, you've pretty much covered all your area, remember you have to fit all of this into your personal statement, which you may think is easy, but actually with TOO much it ends up reading like a list which can be fairly boring.

Looks like you should jsut stick to what you're doing, maybe even give up one or two if you're too busy, other than that, you'r set! Good luck! i'm a GEM at imperial
Reply 2
Avatar for Clunkles
Clunkles
9
Original post by map1989
Hi all, I'm applying for GEM this year (2017 entry), and sitting the UKCAT in August. I've been volunteering at a large London teaching hospital for the past 5 months, serving meals, interacting with patients, and working with other healthcare professionals. Through this I've been on both medical, and surgical wards and had some really great experiences. I should also reach the minimum 70hrs in a "caring environment" before the UCAS deadline :smile: . I'm also volunteering with a charity, tutoring inner London school children STEM subjects with the aim of improving their grades, and getting them into Russel group universities. This is pretty much all I can commit to at the moment, as I'm working full time (in order to save money to study GEM!).In the past (but not within the last 2 years) I have gained work experience in the radiology department of my local hospital, where I was able to shadow radiologists, work in A&E, see X-rays, barium enemas, CT scans, and MRIs etc. I have also worked in the cancer therapeutic division of the institute of cancer research, where I got to work with oncologists, and been a volunteer with St Johns Ambulance.I'm a bit concerned that i'm lacking a shadowing experience within the last 2 years. I've read a lot of people say that it's "not what you do, but what you learn" I think I have a lot of interesting experiences, but am a bit concerned some of them will be discounted or not considered. Should I be re-doubling my efforts to get another shadowing placement? perhaps within primary care? Thanks


You have an absolutely ridiculous amount of work experience. I got into Newcastle A101 this year with a week of shadowing in year 12 and 6 months volunteering on wards and on and off at an HIV clinic. Most places I interviewed at were more interested in the HIV stuff than the other things.
Reply 3
Avatar for map1989
map1989
OP
4
Sitting the UKCAT on Monday! eeeekkkk! I've looked at so many materials; Kaplan, 600Q, Medify, UKCAT official, I'm now just looking forward to it being over. I'm really hoping that I get an average score above 700, but my mock scores seem to swing wildly from around 630, to over 700, depending on the study materials!

Must admit, my volunteering has taken a bit of a back seat while revising for this exam! looking forward to getting back into it after Monday!
Hi Freyr, I was looking for GEM students in London or Oxbridge, mainly regarding the work experience. Do you think I could get your contact to ask some questions?
Reply 5
Avatar for pizza88
pizza88
4
Hi, Im hoping to apply for GEM in 2019. I need work experience that I do for one year or more/ fulfil the 70 hrs care environment. Im kind of struggling with places to apply to do that I suppose or how I would go about that please help! Im stressing really badly about the work experience bit and its slightly intimidating me rn. I have a hospital placement and a care home placement in a few weeks but thats about it really.

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